Warrington Museum & Art Gallery

Cabinet of Curiosities

Judith Rose

Our Museum has a black and white photograph of wildflower tables in a gallery in 1905. My project explores the context of the tables; who collected the live specimens and how they were displayed, and compares contemporary views about wildflowers with ideas in the early years of the twentieth century.

The presence of a wild flower table helped increase the number of visitors to the museum and educated them about botany. Warrington Museum was

Donors to the wildflower table in 1905

Warrington Museum encouraged staff and visitors to collect fresh wildflowers and bring them for display on the table.

Museum Curator Gavin Alfred Dunlop and Museum Caretaker Samuel Clayton were amongst the donors. Teenage botanists included Benton Madeley the son of the Librarian Charles Madeley, and Winifred Fern who lived with her family in Legh Street.